Ten Chimneys

Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, the legendary Broadway couple, carved out a retreat in the Wisconsin countryside where they spent the summers relaxing, decorating and entertaining. Located close to a small farming community, Genesee Depot, the estate christened Ten Chimneys was designed in part by Lunt himself. Having traveled to Scandinavia as a child, Lunt brought a Swedish influence to the project with period detail and character throughout.

from the arrival hall…

with its mural depicting 18th century clad servants offering wine and food…

to the kitchen…

There are several buildings on the property…

main house…

A guest cottage was formerly a chicken coop and after its conversion was known as The Hen House…

a log cabin shipped over from Sweden was used as a rehearsal hall…

pool house…

dining room chairs with needlepoint chair covers in zodiac signs created by the “women of the house”…

paneled library…

the much photographed couple…

After their deaths in the 1980s, the house passed to relatives and was purchased in 1996 by Joseph Garton who established a foundation to preserve the estate. Today the site is open for tours from April – November giving a glimpse into life in a bygone era.